Podcasting 101: The art of listening and conversing with Virginia Anzengruber

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Do you have a long commute? A boring job? Insomnia? It’s likely that you have filled that never-ending void in time by listening to a few podcasts, and if you have only listened to a few, or none at all, you are missing out on a whole new world of storytelling and journalism. We are living in the golden age of storytelling, in the form of both television and podcasting, and life has been good.

Our ever growing city has already sprouted its own podcasts that have garnered cult followings:The Have Company podcast,West Michigan Indie, andEntrepreneurial Gold, to name just a few. To add more fertilizer to the soil, this past Wednesday, April 26, Virginia Anzengruber, host ofSuper Hungry the Podcast, shared her podcasting knowledge, thanks to a partnership with the Avenue for the Arts. Anzengruber is one of the founding members of Snowball Studios, the commercial and podcasting wing of the Grand Rapids-based Snow Monster Studios.

“I think that the accessibility of podcasts, like many other art forms, has made them so popular. You can listen to them on your phone, online, or download them like music. There are so many that are directed at such specific interests that it's like curating conversations and lessons to your exact taste.” says Anzengruber

The free event took place at Snowball Studios, located at 222 Division Ave. South. Where a panel of podcasters Lucy Diamond, Mary Harrington, and Darren Gibson from both Women Libs and Southpaws respectively, fielded questions and shared their experiences with the packed room.

Anzengruber, who now lives in Grand Rapids, brought her talents from her home state of Florida to Los Angeles, where she started Super Hungry the Podcast, and has since brought on such guests as Aaron Carter, Tom Wilson, Jim O’Heir, and Brian McKnight...yes, that Brian McKnight!

“I feel that for me personally, podcasting has helped me hone my voice and point of view," Anzengruber says. "I've always been a mouthier sort of gal, and I love that I've created a show that is my exact voice and taste, and that people are actually listening and enjoying it. It's such a thrill to connect with fans and listeners, whether that be live shows or on the internet. I am absolutely in love with having a genuine connection with other people, and Super Hungry the Podcast has made that so much easier for me to do that.”

Since the last comedy boom, aspiring comedians started to look at where Saturday Night Live and Late Night hired from. All signs pointed to Improve Olympics (iO), The Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, and Second City. All these comedy troupes soon became the farm teams for the comedy big leagues as soon as the blueprint was out.

As they grew in popularity, comedy troupes began experiencing a new phenomenon...corporate types. Gasp! These suit and tie types started popping up more and more at comedy troupes and open mic nights. The Freakonomics of the phenomenon was that companies started realizing the valuable skill set that stand-up comedians and improv-sketch comedians were forming. These same skills were needed by their CEOs, vice presidents, and executive level employees. So off to the dark comedy cellars they went!

In the same vein, companies challenge their middle management and leadership to go through career development to improve productivity and effectiveness. To be an effective leader you need a few distinct qualities, including the ability to actively listen and the ability to be intentional. Coincidentally, these are also the qualities that make a great podcast host.

A podcaster must be able to listen actively, take mental notes, read tone changes or facial queues, be comfortable one-on-one, and be able to carry the conversation. All good qualities for a manager or supervisor right?

Anzengruber encourages those interested in podcasting, saying, “Don't be afraid to use your voice. Once you find it -- use it. The worst that can happen is that someone will disagree with you. The best thing that can happen is that you can connect with someone.”

Wednesday's event was completely attended by would-be podcasters, whether they planned on starting a storytelling podcast (more murder mystery please!) or an aftershow podcast (The Wire: we need it; contact me; I will co-host) or they were looking to increase their already growing podcast base. As was the case for the ladies of This Podcast is Haunted who attended the event. "It was so good to see that there are other people doing the same thing and trying to grow," says Jen Vos of This Podcast is Haunted.

Curious to learn more about Anzengruber’s work? You can check out her podcasthere.

Ken Miguel-Cipriano is Rapid Growth’s innovation and jobs editor. To reach Ken, you can email ken.miguel.cipriano@gmail.com or follow him onTwitter andInstagram.